Local News Wire

U.S. Rep Murphy Shows off Toxic Algae to House Dem Whip Hoyer

Congressman Patrick Murphy is touring the polluted waterways on the Treasure Coast on Monday.

The local lawmaker is taking a helicopter tour of the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon with U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer from Maryland. The idea is to show the key lawmakers in D.C. what is going on with the Lake Okeechobee discharges, blamed for that toxic algae that's been killing businesses which make their living on the water.

Congressman Hoyer has vowed to stand behind fellow Democrat Murphy on the long term solutions that could cost almost a billion dollars.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week scaled back the discharges by around 25 percent and that's being cited for a reason the waters are starting to clear up, but if more rain comes, the Corps will likely increase those discharges again.